Digitally Downloaded – Your specialist source of news and reviews for games, anime, manga, film and literature

15.01.2025

Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Nintendo Switch)

I feel bad that this is going to be copy-paste review, but there really isn’t much to say about Donkey Kong Country Returns HD that I didn’t say in my review of the port of the game to the 3DS several years ago. I don’t think that this is a “lazy” game by any means. It’s one of the finest 2D platformers ever made, and it is the definitive edition. Related reading: Also available on Nintendo Switch is the port of the Wii U’s Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze. Our review. Motion controls are entirely optional, and that’s a…

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Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Nintendo Switch)

January 15, 2025

Nintendo Switch/platformer/Reviews

I feel bad that this is going to be copy-paste review, but there really isn’t much to say about Donkey Kong Country Returns HD that I didn’t say in my review of the port of the game to the 3DS several years ago. I don’t think that this is a…

Gadget review: AceZone A-Spire Wireless Gaming Headset

January 14, 2025

Gadget/Gadget Review/Hardware/Hardware Review/Headset

Got some money to burn and want a headset that will allow you to truly zone out and enjoy whatever you’re playing? The AceZone A-Spire, released right at the end of last year, has you covered. Excessively so. Splashing out the AUD$700 is decadent, to be sure, but if you…

Review: Dynasty Warriors Origins (Sony PlayStation 5)

January 13, 2025

Koei Tecmo/PlayStation 5/Reviews

It’s kind of amazing to consider that the last several years have been the longest period between Dynasty Warriors releases since the series began back in 1997. Dynasty Warriors 9 was a full seven years ago. And, on top of that, there has only been one of the Dynasty Warriors…

A newly-cropped version of Dee Dee in the DDNet news studio.

The catch-up coffee: January 13, 2025

January 13, 2025

catch-up coffee/News

Welcome to Digitally Downloaded’s weekly catch-up news feature, the catch-up coffee. I will bring you the best news you may have missed with each issue. Grab the biggest mug you’ve got, fill it with your favourite brew, and catch up with us (and our favourite news anchor, Dee Dee)!…

The key art for Kingdom Come Deliverance II

I’ve played Kingdom Come Deliverance II – time to learn more about medieval Europe!

January 11, 2025

Previews/RPG

The original Kingdom Come Deliverance was in some ways unfortunate. For reasons that would be annoying and exhausting to revisit, it got caught up in the whole GamerGate thing from a decade ago, and this tainted many people’s perceptions of it. On top of that, the game itself did several…

A screenshot of the Fairy Tail 2 characters in their swimsuits (DLC). There are four girls in bikinis, and Wendy is saying, "The effects of that potion really are amazing, Juvia."

Today’s new Fairy Tail 2 DLC is all about swimsuits and secret hot springs

January 10, 2025

Koei Tecmo/News

Now that everyone has (hopefully) finished their holiday gaming plans, today’s new DLC for Fairy Tail 2 might lure you back to the action RPG. The Fairy Tail 2 Hot Springs paid DLC has launched and features a new scenario, a new hot springs area, and special outfit sets. A…

A screenshot of Dokapon! Sword of Fury for PC (Steam).

Sting’s remaster of Dokapon! Sword of Fury will soon launch in English

January 9, 2025

News/Sting

I don’t know where the past year and a half went. I could have sworn I’d just barely stopped posting about Dokapon Kingdom: Connect, but my last post was in June… June 2023. It is a Compile Heart-developed remake of Sting’s Dokapon Kingdom (2007) for Nintendo Switch, best described as…

PQube will publish suspense visual novel Iwakura Aria in the West this year

January 8, 2025

News/PQube

Last month, PQube announced that it will bring Iwakura Aria to Western territories later this year. I do not know why I’m only receiving a press release now, dated for today, so I’m a bit bummed I didn’t get to talk about this pre-holidays! Iwakura Aria is a suspense visual…

Review: Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana (Nintendo Switch)

January 7, 2025

JRPG/Nintendo Switch/Reviews

If I were to create a laundry list of what I look for in a JRPG, the simple reality is that the Ys series doesn’t tend to check many of those boxes. They’re not known for in-depth narratives, iconic characters (aside from the series protagonist, Adol, who has a very…

The key art for Tokyo Clanpool on Nintendo Switch

Review: Tokyo Clanpool (Nintendo Switch)

January 6, 2025

JRPG/Nintendo Switch/Reviews

To get this out of the way up-front: We need to be wary about art (games, films, books, whatever else) that depict apocalyptic scenarios where some form of invader from without swarms the world and you’re in control of the last nation standing, holding back the horde. It’s an incredibly…

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Reviews

Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (Nintendo Switch)

January 15, 2025

I feel bad that this is going to be copy-paste review, but there really isn’t much to say about Donkey Kong Country…

Review: Dynasty Warriors Origins (Sony PlayStation 5)

January 13, 2025

It’s kind of amazing to consider that the last several years have been the longest period between Dynasty Warriors releases since the…

Review: Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana (Nintendo Switch)

January 7, 2025

If I were to create a laundry list of what I look for in a JRPG, the simple reality is that the…

Review: Tokyo Clanpool (Nintendo Switch)

January 6, 2025

To get this out of the way up-front: We need to be wary about art (games, films, books, whatever else) that depict…

Videos

Podcast-in-Video: Getting nostalgic for Xenogears

December 6, 2023

Xenogears is an all-time classic, but the question is… could something like that even be made again today? That’s what we discuss…

Podcast-in-Video: The games we loved through 2023

December 5, 2023

As it is the last month of the year, it’s time to look back at all the games that were released this…

Interview with the producer and director of Dragon Quest Monsters Dark Prince by DigitallyDownloaded.net

Podcast-in-Video: The big game releases in December

December 5, 2023

Apologies that we’ve been absent from uploading these videos. Various technical issues prevented us from doing a video version of the podcast,…

Podcast-in-Video: The games we wouldn’t play on the train

September 7, 2023

Got a Nintendo Switch? At some stage you’ve probably taken it out in public. After all, gaming on the go is very…

Interviews

A screenshot of the three leaders in Romance of the Three Kingdom 8 Remake.

Launch interview: On remaking Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII

October 24, 2024

The remake of Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII is now out in the wild, and it is a very good game.…

A 4X game about… a failing empire? An interview with JG Games

October 3, 2024

Most 4X and empire-building strategy games are focused on building an empire up. Starting from humble roots and then carefully managing the…

Bringing fine art to video games: An interview with Nomada Creative Director, Conrad Roset

September 24, 2024

So much of Neva, as well as its predecessor, Gris, comes down to Conrad Roset, the Creative Director of Nomada Studio, and…

Q & A: Could Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven be a new breakout hit for the series?

September 20, 2024

It’s clear from playing the demo that Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is a significant effort by Square Enix. It’s…

Gadgets

by Matt

January 14, 2025

Gadget/Gadget Review/Hardware/Hardware Review/Headset

Gadget review: AceZone A-Spire Wireless Gaming Headset

Got some money to burn and want a headset that will allow you to truly zone out and enjoy whatever you’re playing? The AceZone A-Spire, released right at the end of last year, has you covered. Excessively so. Splashing out the AUD$700 is decadent, to be sure, but if you really like immersive experiences then you’re not going to regret…

Gadget/Gadget Review/Hardware/SteelSeries

Gadget review: SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds

SteelSeries makes exceptional audio equipment. Whether it’s the headsets, speakers or microphones, the bulk of what I use for both listening to and creating audio has the little circular logo-thing on it, whatever that’s meant to be. One thing I didn’t have previously was something truly portable, for my Switch…

Gadget Review: Gulikit KK3 Max

Out of the box, the Gulikit KK3 Max feels like a much…

Gadget Review: PowerA OPS v3 Pro

The value of “pro” controllers is a little lost on me, as…